Main Dishes
Easy Mediterranean Chicken Kofta Wrap
Prep
20 minutes
Cook
20 minutes
Yield
6 -7 people
This Chicken Kofta Wrap is Mediterranean inspired. It's full of flavor from the onion salad and creamy yogurt sauce. You're going to love this recipe for an easy lunch or dinner!
Kofta are a staple in many cultures but they originated in Persia with the word itself translating to “to pound” in Persian. You’ll find early recipes of Kofta in Arab cookbooks made with lamb, and you’ll find this dish in the Middle East, Central Asia, and even India. Each region has their own variation that includes different spices and ingredients but all of them consist of a meat-based ball or patty. This Chicken Kofta Wrap is my own variation on the Kofta that puts a Mediterranean spin on it that I think you’re going to love for an easy dinner or meal prep.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Chicken Kofta Wrap
- Flavorful: These wraps are so flavorful. The Sumac Onion Salad and Spicy Creamy Yogurt Sauce compliment the chicken kofta so well. You’re going to love the flavors in this wrap!
- Healthy: These Kofta Wraps are a healthy source of lean protein, and loaded with healthy, nutrient-dense ingredients that will help fuel you through your day. You can feel good about serving these to your family or meal prepping them for an easy lunch all week.
- Versatile: You can make this recipe your own by experimenting with the sauce, veggies and toppings, or even deconstructing it and making it into a bowl with your favorite grain.
🍲 Ingredients
Chicken – Ground chicken is a budget-friendly protein that is good for you and easy to use in a variety of recipes. It can be added into tacos, burgers, meatballs, and frying some up to use in bowls or on top of salads to boost the protein content.
Harissa Paste – Harissa paste is a North African condiment that is made from roasted red peppers, garlic, and spices. The paste adds heat and depth to a dish and you’ll find it in many recipes such as couscous, marinades, and dips.
👩🍳 How to Make a Chicken Kofta Wrap
Make the sumac onion salad
- To a bowl add all of the onion salad ingredients. Toss to combine and set aside.
Make the spicy yogurt sauce
- In a medium bowl whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, harissa paste, salt, pepper and garlic. Set aside.
Make the chicken kofta
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Set aside a medium sized baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make the chicken mixture by combining the ground chicken, grated onion (with the liquid squeezed out), salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground turmeric, chili flakes, olive oil, chopped mint, crumbled feta cheese and pressed garlic. Mix together until fully combined.
- Add the ground chicken mixture to the parchment lined baking sheet. Form the ground chicken into a square (about 11×11 inches) and flatten it with your hands. Use a knife to slice the square in half lengthwise. Then, slice each row into 7 kabobs for a total of 14 kabobs.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to 165F. Broil for 2-3 minutes on the low rack to get a bit of a char on the chicken if desired.
- Assemble into wraps or a sharing platter:For a wrap – to the pita add the sumac onion salad followed by the desired amount of kabobs (we like to use 2 per wrap) and drizzle with the yogurt sauce. Wrap and enjoy!For a platter – the kabobs in one section, the yogurt in a bowl, pita that’s been grilled or warmed in a pan with a bit of olive oil and the sumac onions salad. Share and enjoy!
🗒 Tips and Tricks
- Meat Is Too Sticky: If you are working with the raw meat and it’s sticking too much to your hands, just simply wet your hands and you should be good to go!
- Meat Is Falling Apart: Add a little bit more olive oil to your meat. Start small and add in as required as you don’t want to overdo it.
- Prep: You can prep the meat ahead of time and cook it up when you’re ready to enjoy. You can also prep the sauce and onion salad.
🗒 Variations
If you like this Chicken Kofta Wrap, you should try my Baked Trout Loaded Gyro and Grilled Chicken Gyro recipes.
🗒 Substitutions
As I mentioned at the start of this recipe, there are so many variations of Kofta across different cultures so you can really experiment with this recipe to make it your own. Some easy substitutions are:
- Chicken: You can make a variation of a kofta with any kind of ground meat. Different cultures use beef, lamb, and you can even swap the chicken into turkey.
- Pita: You can deconstruct this Chicken Kofta wrap and make it into a bowl with your favorite grain.
- Toppings: You can get creative with your toppings for this recipe. Swap up the sauce, or add your own favorite veggies.
🗒 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to keep the filling of these Chicken Kofta Wraps separate from the pita and assemble when ready to eat for maximum freshness.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! The mixture can be prepared and refrigerated for a few hours before cooking. Cooked kofta can also be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Yes, both cooked and uncooked kofta can be frozen. Place them on a sheet pan to freeze individually, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Tzatziki, hummus, tahini sauce, and really any yogurt-based, creamy sauces are classic choices.
Easy Mediterranean Chicken Kofta Wrap
Ingredients
For the sumac onion salad
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
- 2 tsp sumac
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp harissa paste
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 398 ml (14-15oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
For the spicy yogurt sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tsp harrissa paste
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
For the chicken kofta
- 900 g (2 lbs) ground chicken
- 2 small grated onion, squeeze out excess liquid
- 2 kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground peper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 4 large garlic cloves, pressed
For serving
- 6-7 thin pitas
Instructions
Make the sumac onion salad
- To a bowl add all of the onion salad ingredients. Toss to combine and set aside.
Make the spicy yogurt sauce
- In a medium bowl whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, harissa paste, salt, pepper and garlic. Set aside.
Make the chicken kofta
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Set aside a medium sized baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Make the chicken mixture by combining the ground chicken, grated onion (with the liquid squeezed out), salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground turmeric, chili flakes, olive oil, chopped mint, crumbled feta cheese and pressed garlic. Mix together until fully combined.
- Add the ground chicken mixture to the parchment lined baking sheet. Form the ground chicken into a square (about 11×11 inches) and flatten it with your hands. Use a knife to slice the square in half lengthwise. Then, slice each row into 7 kabobs for a total of 14 kabobs.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to 165F. Broil for 2-3 minutes on the low rack to get a bit of a char on the chicken if desired.
- Assemble into wraps or a sharing platter:For a wrap – to the pita add the sumac onion salad followed by the desired amount of kabobs (we like to use 2 per wrap) and drizzle with the yogurt sauce. Wrap and enjoy!For a platter – the kabobs in one section, the yogurt in a bowl, pita that's been grilled or warmed in a pan with a bit of olive oil and the sumac onions salad. Share and enjoy!
Notes
- A good substitute for harissa is sriracha or sambal oelek
- If you prefer a less spicy sauce for these kofta, our Greek Tzatziki Sauce would be the perfect pairing
